Until the 1970s, nurses were
instantly recognizable by their caps. Each school and hospital
had its own cap design and method for indicating the level of
training. The Canadian Nursing History
Collection includes 267 nurses' caps, most of which
belong to the Gloria (Barwell) Kay Nurses' Caps
Collection.

Nurses' caps were a very visible and symbolic part of their
uniform. Originally designed, like maids' work caps, to
modestly cover the hair, nurses' caps became highly stylized:
they were starched, pleated and raised to perch precariously
on the back of the head. For more on nurses' caps, see
Symbol of a Profession.